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Doubeck Crime Family #1
Vow to Protect
They call me a monster.
Murderous and hateful.
Beautiful but broken.
Nothing can calm the ever raging storm inside of me. As the ruthless leader of the Doubeck family there is a certain standard of brutality I have to uphold.
To be gentle or kind is a weakness I cannot afford.
That is until the day I meet her.
Beautiful, innocent, and so very afraid.
Valentina is a rival family's daughter, and the little temptress has purposely tangled herself in my dark web.
She seeks me out, needing my help, but the price for what she wants will be steep.
Since my father’s death I’ve needed a wife to solidify my family name and this woman has piqued my interest.
We strike a deal intertwining our futures.
I’ll put a ring on her finger, own her body, keep her safe, and kill them all.
I make a vow to protect her at all costs.
That is until her secrets come to light, and I’m left with the choice of becoming the monster she’s only ever heard rumors about.
**This is a dark forced marriage mafia romance, that ends on a cliffhanger. It contains dub-con/non-con as well as other scenes that may be triggering to some readers.**
Murderous and hateful.
Beautiful but broken.
Nothing can calm the ever raging storm inside of me. As the ruthless leader of the Doubeck family there is a certain standard of brutality I have to uphold.
To be gentle or kind is a weakness I cannot afford.
That is until the day I meet her.
Beautiful, innocent, and so very afraid.
Valentina is a rival family's daughter, and the little temptress has purposely tangled herself in my dark web.
She seeks me out, needing my help, but the price for what she wants will be steep.
Since my father’s death I’ve needed a wife to solidify my family name and this woman has piqued my interest.
We strike a deal intertwining our futures.
I’ll put a ring on her finger, own her body, keep her safe, and kill them all.
I make a vow to protect her at all costs.
That is until her secrets come to light, and I’m left with the choice of becoming the monster she’s only ever heard rumors about.
**This is a dark forced marriage mafia romance, that ends on a cliffhanger. It contains dub-con/non-con as well as other scenes that may be triggering to some readers.**
242 pages, Paperback
First published August 13, 2021
About the author
J.L. Beck
223 books7,368 followersJ.L. Beck is the USA Today Best Selling author of unapologetic romance. She lives in WI with her husband, two kids, and four dogs. She enjoys writing and recently starting a literary agency to help represent authors in the industry.
To learn more about her books or interact with her go here: https://linktr.ee/jlbeckbooks
J.L. Beck xoxoxo
To learn more about her books or interact with her go here: https://linktr.ee/jlbeckbooks
J.L. Beck xoxoxo
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 489 reviews
August 10, 2022
Pros: For protection against her fiancé, Val marries Adrian, a mob boss. Her father and ahole fiancé are some mean mfers. And I don’t mean mfers as in bad @ss and hawt, I mean cruel and heartless about everything and everyone. You’re going to hate them! Her dad uses her as a bargaining chip and doesn’t care what happens to her except that she has to stay pure until her wedding night.
There is a lot that happens to her when she comes back from her secret meeting with Adrian to when she finds out who his mom is at the end of the book. She has two huge blows right at the very end. Omg that cliffhanger is going to freaking kill you! Can I get book 2 now because I hate waiting!
Cons: way too much inner dialogue, a lot of it was just filler nonsense and very repetitive. The H became a bit pathetic at times with his feelings and thoughts toward the h. The h started off like a firecracker, especially after everything she had already gone through, then her fire died out. Wtf? That makes no sense.
There were a crap ton of errors. Use of past tense vs present tense verbiage issues, sentences/thoughts with words missing. Sentences with random question marks, scenes that were missing major descriptions that play important rolls in the book, random scenes that didn’t make sense, naked bodies but yet knives appearing out of thin air, etc. As per Beck, “we had a proofread done so it should be error free” Yikes!
This book is a mess and I hate to rate one of their books this low.
ETA: I hear most of the grammatical errors have been fixed but I have no way of knowing, my review stands.
There is a lot that happens to her when she comes back from her secret meeting with Adrian to when she finds out who his mom is at the end of the book. She has two huge blows right at the very end. Omg that cliffhanger is going to freaking kill you! Can I get book 2 now because I hate waiting!
Cons: way too much inner dialogue, a lot of it was just filler nonsense and very repetitive. The H became a bit pathetic at times with his feelings and thoughts toward the h. The h started off like a firecracker, especially after everything she had already gone through, then her fire died out. Wtf? That makes no sense.
There were a crap ton of errors. Use of past tense vs present tense verbiage issues, sentences/thoughts with words missing. Sentences with random question marks, scenes that were missing major descriptions that play important rolls in the book, random scenes that didn’t make sense, naked bodies but yet knives appearing out of thin air, etc. As per Beck, “we had a proofread done so it should be error free” Yikes!
This book is a mess and I hate to rate one of their books this low.
ETA: I hear most of the grammatical errors have been fixed but I have no way of knowing, my review stands.
September 1, 2021
This is one of those books I wanted to love. I really did. But now that I just finished it, all I can think is all the ways this book missed the mark for me.
My biggest issue though was...Val. Just when I think she's strong, she's not. She's needy, has tons of self doubts and insecurities and almost comes across as completely naive. I absolutely LOVE mob/mafia books. But these females need to be strong. They need to match the males they are matched with.
As far as what everyone seems to think "blew them away", I picked up on it really quick. It wasn't hard. Same with the cliffhanger. I mean, come on, it's not hard to figure out whats going on in this book. There was nothing subtle about the OMG moments.
Adrian I loved. He's an alpha male who is possessive over what he considers his. He needed a better match, because Val didn't come across as that.
I will still read the next book because I'm a gluten for punishment. Plus, I do want to see if the author can give Val a backbone so she can be a better match for Adrian.
My biggest issue though was...Val. Just when I think she's strong, she's not. She's needy, has tons of self doubts and insecurities and almost comes across as completely naive. I absolutely LOVE mob/mafia books. But these females need to be strong. They need to match the males they are matched with.
As far as what everyone seems to think "blew them away", I picked up on it really quick. It wasn't hard. Same with the cliffhanger. I mean, come on, it's not hard to figure out whats going on in this book. There was nothing subtle about the OMG moments.
Adrian I loved. He's an alpha male who is possessive over what he considers his. He needed a better match, because Val didn't come across as that.
I will still read the next book because I'm a gluten for punishment. Plus, I do want to see if the author can give Val a backbone so she can be a better match for Adrian.
June 18, 2021
A dark mafia, forced marriage romance. You DO NOT want to miss this one.
Preorder here ---> https://geni.us/vowtoprotect
Preorder here ---> https://geni.us/vowtoprotect
September 8, 2021
I really wanted this book to be a five star read. Valentina is a mafia princess although she is not treated like one. Her father gave her to a man that beats her and when she finds out what he is doing to her cousin she goes to Adrian and makes a deal with him. I really liked Adrian he was a hot sexy alpha male who has an anger problem. I had issues with Valentina she was whiny and weepy and clueless at times I found it very hard to believe that she didn't snoop around to find out what her father was into or Sal she didn't listen at the door to his office. I also didn't like what Adrian did to his right hand man Kai. The beginning of the book was kind of slow and the action picked up at the end. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series and I hate that I have to wait 3 months for the next book.
"It was a nice lie. But what are dreams? Nice lies to get you through the day, right?"
"It was a nice lie. But what are dreams? Nice lies to get you through the day, right?"
June 6, 2026
Definitely don't recommend. This is my last attempt at reading JL Beck or Monica Corwin. The books are all the same, which isn't good. This review is going to be short and to the point.
Valentina Novak (20-ish, virgin) was sold to a man who beats her and rapes her cousin. She goes to a head mafia guy and asks him to kill her fiancé in exchange for her body.
Adrian Doubeck (30-ish) agrees to marry Val and protect her and her cousin from both the evil fiancé and her father.
Val goes home to tell her cousin the good news, but the evil fiancé beats her, then rapes and murders the cousin in front of her.
Adrian wonders why he hasn't seen his new woman in days, finds her nearly dead, takes her home and nurses her back to health. They get married and we spend the rest of the book with Val being afraid Adrian is going to hurt her.
Blah blah blah, her ex comes back, they finally fuck, and then more stupid shit. It ends on a cliffy but I don't plan to continue.
SEX: They don't actually fuck until the 68% mark. I don't care.
ADRIAN: I liked the fact he adored her. I don't know how he had so much patience. I'd have strangled her a long time ago.
AUDIO: It’s not a duet. Aaron Shedlock is sexy as fuck. At least I like him, although I can see how he’s not for everyone. It’s too bad that Meghan Kelly has a voice that makes me want to dip her in honey and then let a bear devour her. SHE’S AWFUL. JFC she shouldn’t be allowed to speak in public. Not only is her voice horrible, but she can’t act at all. Ugh. I don’t recommend the book and I definitely don’t recommend the audio.
Valentina Novak (20-ish, virgin) was sold to a man who beats her and rapes her cousin. She goes to a head mafia guy and asks him to kill her fiancé in exchange for her body.
Adrian Doubeck (30-ish) agrees to marry Val and protect her and her cousin from both the evil fiancé and her father.
“You, Val. From the moment I met you outside that bathroom, I’ve wanted you. But I’m not Sal. I won’t abuse you like he did. When I take you, you’ll scream in pleasure and rip into my back with your nails out of sheer bliss. I promise you that.”
Val goes home to tell her cousin the good news, but the evil fiancé beats her, then rapes and murders the cousin in front of her.
Adrian wonders why he hasn't seen his new woman in days, finds her nearly dead, takes her home and nurses her back to health. They get married and we spend the rest of the book with Val being afraid Adrian is going to hurt her.
“Nothing,” she says, but even now, I see she’s close to tears.
“Do you think I’m going to hurt you?” A sob escapes, and she clamps a hand over her mouth. When she gains control of herself, she shakes her head hard.
“No, it’s not that I think you’re going to hurt me. It’s just I can’t stop the what-ifs from spiraling in my mind. What if you force me down and have sex with me? What if you tie me to the bed? What if—?”
A hot wave of anger rolls over me. “If you’re implying I let Sal get to you. That I would put you in danger as what…some kind of punishment for not being ready to have sex with me, then you better keep your fucking mouth shut. I would rather rip off my own arm than put you in danger.”
She swallows loud enough for me to be able to hear it. “It’s ridiculous. I know, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”
Every time he touches me, I still flinch. I feel bad about it because he has done nothing but pleasure me for the past couple of weeks since his “punishment.” Based on what my father would have done to me
Blah blah blah, her ex comes back, they finally fuck, and then more stupid shit. It ends on a cliffy but I don't plan to continue.
SEX: They don't actually fuck until the 68% mark. I don't care.
ADRIAN: I liked the fact he adored her. I don't know how he had so much patience. I'd have strangled her a long time ago.
AUDIO: It’s not a duet. Aaron Shedlock is sexy as fuck. At least I like him, although I can see how he’s not for everyone. It’s too bad that Meghan Kelly has a voice that makes me want to dip her in honey and then let a bear devour her. SHE’S AWFUL. JFC she shouldn’t be allowed to speak in public. Not only is her voice horrible, but she can’t act at all. Ugh. I don’t recommend the book and I definitely don’t recommend the audio.
August 13, 2021
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***
Vow to protect is a new dark mafia, age gap romance. Be aware that there are triggers in this book with rape, violence, ETC. And the story also ends in a cliff hanger. Adrian and Valentina's story had a lot of potential, but I thought it fell short.
This story was edgy, dark, angsty, tragic, and somewhat twisted. There's also lots of violence and some mystery. The story line was predictable at times and I felt the pace of the story was a little too slow. The back and forth with Adrian and Val became repetitive and dragged on.
Adrian is known to be ruthless, blunt, hot headed, and at times unreasonable and jealous. When he wants something he wastes no time in seizing it. For being this ruthless criminal, I felt that at times he was too insecure with his thoughts in Val. And some of his hissy fits were a turn off.
Valentina ended up disappointing me. At the beginning she was brave, courageous, and a fighter. But she quickly became weak, timid, emotional, and constantly vulnerable, which is understandable for what she's endured. But I've been waiting for that fire to return, letting her past and what she's suffered fuel her. She can't stand by her man acting as weak and emotional as she does. Where's the backbone we saw from the beginning? I want to see more fire, fight, and sass from her.
August 12, 2021
Hot mafia boss who is OTT possessive ✔️
Damsel in need of hot mafia boss✔️
Marriage of convenience✔️
Need I say anymore about this book?? Ok I will. Adrain and Valentina are two people who need each other more than either of them realizes. When Adrian first meets Valentina he is drawn to her. He can not understand what it is about her that calls to him, but he knows he has to have her. Valentina's life looks perfect from the outside. For those few people who know her know her life is anything but perfect. She has a been promised to an evil man and will do anything to be free even meeting with dark and dangerous Adrian. This is where the book really picks up.... We get to see just how possessive Adrian really is. This is where I will end my review of this book.(I'm afraid if I keep talking I will end up spilling all the deliciousness that is written with in these pages). Just know that it is filled with twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Their lives are more intertwined than either of them realizes, and I am in need of the net book NOW!
Damsel in need of hot mafia boss✔️
Marriage of convenience✔️
Need I say anymore about this book?? Ok I will. Adrain and Valentina are two people who need each other more than either of them realizes. When Adrian first meets Valentina he is drawn to her. He can not understand what it is about her that calls to him, but he knows he has to have her. Valentina's life looks perfect from the outside. For those few people who know her know her life is anything but perfect. She has a been promised to an evil man and will do anything to be free even meeting with dark and dangerous Adrian. This is where the book really picks up.... We get to see just how possessive Adrian really is. This is where I will end my review of this book.(I'm afraid if I keep talking I will end up spilling all the deliciousness that is written with in these pages). Just know that it is filled with twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Their lives are more intertwined than either of them realizes, and I am in need of the net book NOW!
August 21, 2021
DNF at 52%
Maybe I'm going to pick this again later to give it another chance because I actually like the tropes (dark mafia romance with forced marriage between rivals families) here, but right now I couldn't get hooked on this story. It's just that there's a lot of telling but not showing, with a lot of long internal monologues, and the main characters while they have potential and they'll probably get better with the rest of the book, feel pretty bland and two dimensional to me. Valentina is trapped with an abusive father and fiancé from whom she's trying to escape, willing to do anything even ask for the help of a "monster", but she quickly loses her fire and becomes a little pitiful. Adrian is the powerful "monster" that everyone fears, but as far as I could read I didn't understand why, since I didn't see anything scary about him and the way he acts.
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Maybe I'm going to pick this again later to give it another chance because I actually like the tropes (dark mafia romance with forced marriage between rivals families) here, but right now I couldn't get hooked on this story. It's just that there's a lot of telling but not showing, with a lot of long internal monologues, and the main characters while they have potential and they'll probably get better with the rest of the book, feel pretty bland and two dimensional to me. Valentina is trapped with an abusive father and fiancé from whom she's trying to escape, willing to do anything even ask for the help of a "monster", but she quickly loses her fire and becomes a little pitiful. Adrian is the powerful "monster" that everyone fears, but as far as I could read I didn't understand why, since I didn't see anything scary about him and the way he acts.
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Did Not Finish
November 1, 2021***DNF’d at 53%***
This was just not for me…
I really wanted to love this, I really did. Unfortunately, this just felt super repetitive and had a lot of telling and not showing situations (for instance, the entire wedding section happens off-page) and neither of the main characters stood out to me. We keep hearing about how “dangerous” Adrian is, but we don’t see anything that proves this to us (Atleast 53% of the way in, which is way too long).
I will say, Val’s storyline with her father and fiancé was pretty interesting, but Val herself just wasn’t. She had almost no personality and seemed like just a damsel in distress type of character.
There’s only so many times I can read “I won’t hurt you” before I start to roll my eyes.
This was just not for me…
I really wanted to love this, I really did. Unfortunately, this just felt super repetitive and had a lot of telling and not showing situations (for instance, the entire wedding section happens off-page) and neither of the main characters stood out to me. We keep hearing about how “dangerous” Adrian is, but we don’t see anything that proves this to us (Atleast 53% of the way in, which is way too long).
I will say, Val’s storyline with her father and fiancé was pretty interesting, but Val herself just wasn’t. She had almost no personality and seemed like just a damsel in distress type of character.
There’s only so many times I can read “I won’t hurt you” before I start to roll my eyes.
August 16, 2024
Нічого не очікувала від цієї книги, але приємно залишилась здивована.🤭
Це серія, і серію починає дилогія про Адріана і Валентину. Вайбом дуже нагадала книгу "Мафіозі і його ангел". Тому мені сподобалось. Скажу одразу що авторка може такий треш написати коли наче все добре, і це просто вибиває з колії.
Валентина - донька одного з членів "Ради", після смерті своєї мами зазнає жорстоковсті зі сторони батька, відчуває себе не потрібною, і обузую. Батько, вирішує видати її за Села (той ще покидьок, яий прстійно ображає і б'є Вал) , щоб той зміг внаслідувати династію.
Валентину постійно батько звинувачує у вбивстві матері, і єдиною розрадою стає її найкраща подруга і кузина Роуз, яка також втратила маму.
Адріан - монстр ( так про нього всі говорять) , дуже жорстокий чоловік, перед яким всі повиннні схиляти голови. Має свою п'ятірку, це його друзі і команда.
Валентину і Роуз в перше виводять в світ, на вечірку, але Сел потійно пристає до Вал, і коли вона відмовляє він починає домагатись до Роуз. Вал розуміє, що повинна захистити її будь якою ціною. Так вона зустрічає Адріана, і вона придумує план. Вона заключає угоду, щоб Адріан вбив Села, і вона дасть йому все що забажає.
Так все починається. Деякими моментами я афігівала, просто від того шо коїлось в книзі, але мені сподобалось.💗
Це серія, і серію починає дилогія про Адріана і Валентину. Вайбом дуже нагадала книгу "Мафіозі і його ангел". Тому мені сподобалось. Скажу одразу що авторка може такий треш написати коли наче все добре, і це просто вибиває з колії.
Валентина - донька одного з членів "Ради", після смерті своєї мами зазнає жорстоковсті зі сторони батька, відчуває себе не потрібною, і обузую. Батько, вирішує видати її за Села (той ще покидьок, яий прстійно ображає і б'є Вал) , щоб той зміг внаслідувати династію.
Валентину постійно батько звинувачує у вбивстві матері, і єдиною розрадою стає її найкраща подруга і кузина Роуз, яка також втратила маму.
Адріан - монстр ( так про нього всі говорять) , дуже жорстокий чоловік, перед яким всі повиннні схиляти голови. Має свою п'ятірку, це його друзі і команда.
Валентину і Роуз в перше виводять в світ, на вечірку, але Сел потійно пристає до Вал, і коли вона відмовляє він починає домагатись до Роуз. Вал розуміє, що повинна захистити її будь якою ціною. Так вона зустрічає Адріана, і вона придумує план. Вона заключає угоду, щоб Адріан вбив Села, і вона дасть йому все що забажає.
Так все починається. Деякими моментами я афігівала, просто від того шо коїлось в книзі, але мені сподобалось.💗
May 28, 2023
Revenge for one and an order of protection for the other.
How far would you go yo avenge a parents disappearance. No clues to follow. Just an ingrained knowledge of truth. I guess that's what I'll call it. No foreshadowing or torture of an local rat. So I don't know how he knows, "Who is responsible for his mother's presence No longer in his life?"
The only daughter of his rival. Wants only to be at peace. A day without pain. The brutality of her arranged fiancé. The callous words of her father. He changed after her mother's death. At least she has her cousin Rose. An orphan being fostered by an uncle that pays her no mind. Until Rose could be used to temper his daughter. A life lived in fear.
I name Rose only because this story did her dirty.
How far would you go yo avenge a parents disappearance. No clues to follow. Just an ingrained knowledge of truth. I guess that's what I'll call it. No foreshadowing or torture of an local rat. So I don't know how he knows, "Who is responsible for his mother's presence No longer in his life?"
The only daughter of his rival. Wants only to be at peace. A day without pain. The brutality of her arranged fiancé. The callous words of her father. He changed after her mother's death. At least she has her cousin Rose. An orphan being fostered by an uncle that pays her no mind. Until Rose could be used to temper his daughter. A life lived in fear.
I name Rose only because this story did her dirty.
August 29, 2021
*Ku Read
J.L. Beck and Monica Corwin bring a dark and twisted Mob story to life. I am going to admit that I knew that this book ended on a cliffy BUT I was hoping to get the second book way sooner than December.
Valentina is a wonderfully written character that falls into a trap and will need Adrian for help. Adrian almost has no soul when she first comes into his life. But as with most monsters there is always a weakness. Valentina will become Adrian's weakness.
I couldn't put Vow to Protect down and read it in one setting. I will be reading the second book. I will have to reread this book to remind me what happen- so that sucks but that's okay.
J.L. Beck and Monica Corwin bring a dark and twisted Mob story to life. I am going to admit that I knew that this book ended on a cliffy BUT I was hoping to get the second book way sooner than December.
Valentina is a wonderfully written character that falls into a trap and will need Adrian for help. Adrian almost has no soul when she first comes into his life. But as with most monsters there is always a weakness. Valentina will become Adrian's weakness.
I couldn't put Vow to Protect down and read it in one setting. I will be reading the second book. I will have to reread this book to remind me what happen- so that sucks but that's okay.
January 2, 2022
3.5
Typical mafia romance
Safe for me
I saw a reel on the instagrams author and it says how the hero is much experienced than the heroine so that gives me a brief explanation that he is a man hoe.
At the beginning some women comes and ( it’s not explained well ) touches his d1ck but then someone comes and takes her away . So nothing happens but still .
There is some ow who comes and offends the h . But typical ow scene .
The H says how he doesn’t want anyone else other than the h .
Like 3/4 of the story h gets a message and it’s a picture of H with ow . ( it looks like he’s whispering something to her . ) but he later explain that he was threatening her . Nothing bad . He does explain there is no other women but h .
Edit : I forget to explain how h gets abused by her fiancé . She is engaged with someone else in the beginning. He does rape h’s cousin .
Typical mafia romance
Safe for me
I saw a reel on the instagrams author and it says how the hero is much experienced than the heroine so that gives me a brief explanation that he is a man hoe.
At the beginning some women comes and ( it’s not explained well ) touches his d1ck but then someone comes and takes her away . So nothing happens but still .
There is some ow who comes and offends the h . But typical ow scene .
The H says how he doesn’t want anyone else other than the h .
Like 3/4 of the story h gets a message and it’s a picture of H with ow . ( it looks like he’s whispering something to her . ) but he later explain that he was threatening her . Nothing bad . He does explain there is no other women but h .
Edit : I forget to explain how h gets abused by her fiancé . She is engaged with someone else in the beginning. He does rape h’s cousin .
April 29, 2024
I don't know why I expected FMC to be story anything sort of spitefire. But she was needy, insecure, meek and naive. She was portrayed very weak. When I think of a enemies to love, we expect lost of funny banter, strong characters and this book didn't delivered any of that stuff.
September 2, 2021
This was an intense read. It was a fast paced,quick read and since it's a duet it ends in a cliffhanger but I enjoyed how the plot unfolded. The forced-marriage aspect was done really well and there's an air of mystery surrounding the story that links these two characters together.
“You will belong to me and only to me. No one will touch you. No one will so much as breathe too close to you. Do I make myself clear?”
If you're in the mood for a super possessive,dirty talking,alpha guy then this book is it. Oh my Adrian
Doubeck is one of a kind 🥵🥵 Growing up in an abusive household, Valentina has learned to keep her head low and keep herself and her best friend safe in this ruthless mafia world. But when she is promised to Sal, a brutal and downright cruel person, she decides it is finally enough and seeks help from the most dangerous man in their world-Adrian the head of the Doubeck family.
I really enjoyed Adrian's character and his actions were kind of unpredictable. He shocked Val with how gentle and kind he was towards her, he reigned the monster in him for her. And then again his brutal side will come out, the one seeking vengeance for the ones he loves. He was so protective of Val and we have the taking care of the sick scenes here and those were super cute. I loved his mind games when being the mafia boss and how plotted against his enemies.
I felt for Valentina and all that she had to endure. She still held on strong despite everything life threw at her and I really admired her courage. She kept fighting with herself to get out of that shell, to face her trauma and get past it, to trust again and accept the love she feels, to speak out and let her emotions free without the fear of being supressed or abused for expressing her feelings.
Now coming to the romance, I really feel this is a story where I will feel more invested in the romantic relationship in the next book. Their relationship kind of kept going in circles in this book. It was intense for sure, the chemistry was sizzling but the emotional connection felt bit weak to me. It felt bit rushed to me at times and sudden. But it was written in a way that I'm hoping to see them connect more as a couple in the next book.
Thank you Wildfire marketing solutions for the arc in exchange of my honest review.
“You will belong to me and only to me. No one will touch you. No one will so much as breathe too close to you. Do I make myself clear?”
If you're in the mood for a super possessive,dirty talking,alpha guy then this book is it. Oh my Adrian
Doubeck is one of a kind 🥵🥵 Growing up in an abusive household, Valentina has learned to keep her head low and keep herself and her best friend safe in this ruthless mafia world. But when she is promised to Sal, a brutal and downright cruel person, she decides it is finally enough and seeks help from the most dangerous man in their world-Adrian the head of the Doubeck family.
I really enjoyed Adrian's character and his actions were kind of unpredictable. He shocked Val with how gentle and kind he was towards her, he reigned the monster in him for her. And then again his brutal side will come out, the one seeking vengeance for the ones he loves. He was so protective of Val and we have the taking care of the sick scenes here and those were super cute. I loved his mind games when being the mafia boss and how plotted against his enemies.
I felt for Valentina and all that she had to endure. She still held on strong despite everything life threw at her and I really admired her courage. She kept fighting with herself to get out of that shell, to face her trauma and get past it, to trust again and accept the love she feels, to speak out and let her emotions free without the fear of being supressed or abused for expressing her feelings.
Now coming to the romance, I really feel this is a story where I will feel more invested in the romantic relationship in the next book. Their relationship kind of kept going in circles in this book. It was intense for sure, the chemistry was sizzling but the emotional connection felt bit weak to me. It felt bit rushed to me at times and sudden. But it was written in a way that I'm hoping to see them connect more as a couple in the next book.
Thank you Wildfire marketing solutions for the arc in exchange of my honest review.
May 19, 2023
So this one was a bit hard to read. I felt some emotion, but seemed to derail a lot.
I had a hard time really liking either character. I hope the next book in the series answers some questions that might help make the characters mesh better. Felt whiny and angry most of the time.
I had a hard time really liking either character. I hope the next book in the series answers some questions that might help make the characters mesh better. Felt whiny and angry most of the time.
September 1, 2021
I love Mafia reads, and this does not disappoint!
Valentina has had a bit of a rough life so far. After her mother died, her father seemed to change over night, turning from a warm, living father into a cold, distant stranger. He has given her to a man named Sal to marry, with the only stipulation being to not sleep with her. Poor Valentina is battered and bruised daily by both sal and her father.
Going to her very first gala with her cousin Rose, she gets the attention of Adrian Doubeck, a man Rose says is a monster, but was only nice to Val. He gives her his card and says to get in touch......
Val does... She then sneaks out and asks him to kill Sal. He agrees for a price. For her. Val sees no other alternative. ANYTHING is better than staying with sal. But sal catches her sneaking back in.....
She wakes up in Adrian's home with a jumbled memory.
Adrian is beyond angry at how he found Val. He's more than happy to kill Sal. He wants her father too. Getting his small crew of 5 on the case of finding them, he concentrates on Val.
Its a very slow burn with them romance wise, especially as val is so concerned with the deal and "doing her part". Adrian is tryung to show her its not just the deal... He wants HER but poor Val hasn't had someone say such things to her that she's not even thinking that's what he's saying.
We left it (but of course!!!) on one heck of a cliff hanger which we have to wait till December to find out!!! But there were other questions lingering too....
We saw Adrian's caring side towards val, but not much of how he does business. It would be good to see how he is as a Mafia boss and how he earned that infamous "monster" title. On the flip side of this, tho is that val has never seen that side either. Would she be able to reconcile that side of him as the same Adrian she's been getting to know?
And then there's the meeting with the council. Will they recognise the marriage? Is there now a war between them and sals family??
Can't wait for the conclusion!!
I received a copy of the book in return for an honest review
Valentina has had a bit of a rough life so far. After her mother died, her father seemed to change over night, turning from a warm, living father into a cold, distant stranger. He has given her to a man named Sal to marry, with the only stipulation being to not sleep with her. Poor Valentina is battered and bruised daily by both sal and her father.
Going to her very first gala with her cousin Rose, she gets the attention of Adrian Doubeck, a man Rose says is a monster, but was only nice to Val. He gives her his card and says to get in touch......
Val does... She then sneaks out and asks him to kill Sal. He agrees for a price. For her. Val sees no other alternative. ANYTHING is better than staying with sal. But sal catches her sneaking back in.....
She wakes up in Adrian's home with a jumbled memory.
Adrian is beyond angry at how he found Val. He's more than happy to kill Sal. He wants her father too. Getting his small crew of 5 on the case of finding them, he concentrates on Val.
Its a very slow burn with them romance wise, especially as val is so concerned with the deal and "doing her part". Adrian is tryung to show her its not just the deal... He wants HER but poor Val hasn't had someone say such things to her that she's not even thinking that's what he's saying.
We left it (but of course!!!) on one heck of a cliff hanger which we have to wait till December to find out!!! But there were other questions lingering too....
We saw Adrian's caring side towards val, but not much of how he does business. It would be good to see how he is as a Mafia boss and how he earned that infamous "monster" title. On the flip side of this, tho is that val has never seen that side either. Would she be able to reconcile that side of him as the same Adrian she's been getting to know?
And then there's the meeting with the council. Will they recognise the marriage? Is there now a war between them and sals family??
Can't wait for the conclusion!!
I received a copy of the book in return for an honest review
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August 14, 2021Everything I love reading
These 2 authors have knocked this out of the park! This book is definitely dark, raw, twisted and steamy! If you have triggers the take them seriously in this book. With that being said this book is every dark romance readers fantasy come true! From start to finish I couldn't stop reading and in the end it left me needing so much more!!! I can't wait to read more by these authors!!
These 2 authors have knocked this out of the park! This book is definitely dark, raw, twisted and steamy! If you have triggers the take them seriously in this book. With that being said this book is every dark romance readers fantasy come true! From start to finish I couldn't stop reading and in the end it left me needing so much more!!! I can't wait to read more by these authors!!
August 15, 2021
Trying something different and doing an "as i read" review. Poor girl, in this horrible arranged marriage with an evil man and her father is an heartless man who cares nothing about her. Valentina desperately needs help and when a man give s her his card and tells her to call anytime, that's what she does, she has no other option.
In comes this gorgeous knight in shining armor, coming to save her but it comes at a very very high price. Says trigger warning but I haven't come across anything I have to skip.So far, it's been a page Turner, I love so much how caring and tender he is but he's going to burst lol!! He ends up fulfilling his vow but at what cost?? OMG!! Can NOT wait for the next book!
In comes this gorgeous knight in shining armor, coming to save her but it comes at a very very high price. Says trigger warning but I haven't come across anything I have to skip.So far, it's been a page Turner, I love so much how caring and tender he is but he's going to burst lol!! He ends up fulfilling his vow but at what cost?? OMG!! Can NOT wait for the next book!
August 10, 2021
This book is everything!
I love Adrian and Val, they are such amazing characters.
I love how protective Adrian was of Val and wanted to keep her safe and happy.
My heart broke for Val, slowly learning to grow, she becomes stronger and opening herself to Adrian. Her past is heartbreaking and the trauma she has faced is painful but I am so proud that she is trying to live and not letting the past drag her back.
I loved Adrian, he was a "monster" to everyone but Val. He became much more gentle and caring, and would do anything for her!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love Adrian and Val, they are such amazing characters.
I love how protective Adrian was of Val and wanted to keep her safe and happy.
My heart broke for Val, slowly learning to grow, she becomes stronger and opening herself to Adrian. Her past is heartbreaking and the trauma she has faced is painful but I am so proud that she is trying to live and not letting the past drag her back.
I loved Adrian, he was a "monster" to everyone but Val. He became much more gentle and caring, and would do anything for her!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 17, 2023
***One spoiler but it’s in literally the third chapter. The rest is just how much of a twat the male protag is.
Read at your own risk (or enjoyment)***
I wish I could give this negative stars. Adrian is abusive. I won’t compare him to Sal, because that guy can literally have his eyes pecked out by crows and I would not care, but Adrian is pretty up there on the sucky scale.
He cops to using sex as a weapon to manipulate her feelings.
Tells her that she’ll be able to freely express her opinions and speak her mind, yet when she does exactly that, manhandles her out of the room and screams at her for “disrespecting” him.
Right after she wakes from a two weeks sleep recovering from traumatic wounds, potentially internal bleeding, makes her jack him off so “he” can control himself better.
She’s literally an abuse victim who has been beaten severely and when she wakes up he gets “angry” that she can’t remember what happened to her and punches a glass vase. When she is understandably triggered by this and flinches/shrinks away from him, he gaslights her by saying “Why are you afraid? I didn’t touch you.” Excuse me? Are you dumb? That’s not sensitive. That’s not empathetic.
But don’t worry it’s because he’s angry for her not at her.
Please. Fuck off.
Let’s see, what else.
She says “I can’t have sex with you tonight” because again, UNDERSTANDABLY, after her memory comes back and she remembers watching her cousin be brutalized and murdered she doesn’t wanna get freaky. He then gets mad, breaks something, says “but I didn’t touch you” when she flinches, and then tells her to “touch me if you don’t want me to rip off [her] underwear” then makes her suck him off.
I don’t know why this man thinks her doing things this way is “willing” (cause that’s a buzz word he likes) because it’s fucking not. He’s a bully. He may not bruise her. But he’s definitely doing damage to a naive, traumatized, and already scarred girl.
Oh and don’t even get me started on the microchip. Hell to the no.
This is not the possessiveness I like. I want to curb stomp Adrian and feed him to my cat. He can pick of Sal first, but then I’m getting Val tf out of there.
Read at your own risk (or enjoyment)***
I wish I could give this negative stars. Adrian is abusive. I won’t compare him to Sal, because that guy can literally have his eyes pecked out by crows and I would not care, but Adrian is pretty up there on the sucky scale.
He cops to using sex as a weapon to manipulate her feelings.
Tells her that she’ll be able to freely express her opinions and speak her mind, yet when she does exactly that, manhandles her out of the room and screams at her for “disrespecting” him.
Right after she wakes from a two weeks sleep recovering from traumatic wounds, potentially internal bleeding, makes her jack him off so “he” can control himself better.
She’s literally an abuse victim who has been beaten severely and when she wakes up he gets “angry” that she can’t remember what happened to her and punches a glass vase. When she is understandably triggered by this and flinches/shrinks away from him, he gaslights her by saying “Why are you afraid? I didn’t touch you.” Excuse me? Are you dumb? That’s not sensitive. That’s not empathetic.
But don’t worry it’s because he’s angry for her not at her.
Please. Fuck off.
Let’s see, what else.
She says “I can’t have sex with you tonight” because again, UNDERSTANDABLY, after her memory comes back and she remembers watching her cousin be brutalized and murdered she doesn’t wanna get freaky. He then gets mad, breaks something, says “but I didn’t touch you” when she flinches, and then tells her to “touch me if you don’t want me to rip off [her] underwear” then makes her suck him off.
I don’t know why this man thinks her doing things this way is “willing” (cause that’s a buzz word he likes) because it’s fucking not. He’s a bully. He may not bruise her. But he’s definitely doing damage to a naive, traumatized, and already scarred girl.
Oh and don’t even get me started on the microchip. Hell to the no.
This is not the possessiveness I like. I want to curb stomp Adrian and feed him to my cat. He can pick of Sal first, but then I’m getting Val tf out of there.
June 18, 2021
I've read the free prequel and it's SOOOO GOOOOOOD!!!
September 7, 2021
I would honestly give this book a 2.8 rating.
August 9, 2021
This was really good and not at all what I expected! Valentina is engaged to a foul abusive man, forced into the arrangement by her awful father. Sal abuses Valentina because he’s not allowed to touch her before their wedding. Her father doesn’t care about the abuse. When Valentina discovers Sal is abusing her beloved cousin Rose in ways he’s not allowed to touch her, she had enough and goes to make a deal with the H, Adrian to kill Sal. Adrian wants her as payment. So a deal is struck.
This has a lot of dark elements in it but the relationship between Adrian and Valentina is pretty gentle. There’s a salacious vibe there when she approaches him to kill Sal. Then Sal nearly beats her death and forced her to watch while he violates and murders Rose. Adrian finds her and is so sweet, caring and gentle with her it’s heart wrenching.
He’s impossibly patient as she recuperates, even the she flinches at every touch when he’s been nothing but kind. He doesn’t force her after the marriage either, instead waiting for her to be ready to take that step. This may seem like a no brained but in dark romance all bets are off and Valentina has known very little kindness in her life.
I would call this a slow burn. There’s some fooling around and dry humping thrown in but they don’t consummate their relationship until near 70%. She’s also weirdly naive in that she keeps on thinking once they’ve crossed that bridge their deal is over, despite him marrying her and constantly telling her otherwise. I don’t understand the disconnect in her grain there.
Story 4/5, heat level 3.5/5, slow burn, multiple POV, virgin h, no manwh*re H - though their is a nasty ex OW lurking about, no condoms.
This is a duet so it ends on a cliffhanger, not a terrible one, but a cliffhanger -all the same. There’s no cheating (unless you count her ex-fiancé cheating on her - which I don’t).
I can’t wait to see how it wraps up in the next book. The blurb for Vow to Keep makes it sounds like she runs from Adrian. That’s always one of my favorite tropes, determined H hunting down his woman!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This has a lot of dark elements in it but the relationship between Adrian and Valentina is pretty gentle. There’s a salacious vibe there when she approaches him to kill Sal. Then Sal nearly beats her death and forced her to watch while he violates and murders Rose. Adrian finds her and is so sweet, caring and gentle with her it’s heart wrenching.
He’s impossibly patient as she recuperates, even the she flinches at every touch when he’s been nothing but kind. He doesn’t force her after the marriage either, instead waiting for her to be ready to take that step. This may seem like a no brained but in dark romance all bets are off and Valentina has known very little kindness in her life.
I would call this a slow burn. There’s some fooling around and dry humping thrown in but they don’t consummate their relationship until near 70%. She’s also weirdly naive in that she keeps on thinking once they’ve crossed that bridge their deal is over, despite him marrying her and constantly telling her otherwise. I don’t understand the disconnect in her grain there.
Story 4/5, heat level 3.5/5, slow burn, multiple POV, virgin h, no manwh*re H - though their is a nasty ex OW lurking about, no condoms.
This is a duet so it ends on a cliffhanger, not a terrible one, but a cliffhanger -all the same. There’s no cheating (unless you count her ex-fiancé cheating on her - which I don’t).
I can’t wait to see how it wraps up in the next book. The blurb for Vow to Keep makes it sounds like she runs from Adrian. That’s always one of my favorite tropes, determined H hunting down his woman!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 20, 2023
Review I liked:
I've read several mafia related romances and this one by far has stood out the most! Valentina is a young virgin whose father allows her arranged fiance to abuse her as long as she remains innocent. During a mandatory appearance at a party she meets the host Adrian. Adrian is considered a vicious monster in his own right though he would never hurt women. He becomes immediately enchanted by Val and keeps thinking of her days later. Becoming more scared of her fiance Sal, Val seeks out Adrian to strike a deal. He will kill Sal and in return Adrian wants Val to be his. A traumatic night forces them together in a way neither imagined, but their future remains unclear. This is a duet with a cliffhanger and you get several bombs dropped within the last 10% of the book. I loved these two characters. Val is finding her strength and voice after years of abuse and she's portrayed as someone still recovering from that abuse. She doesn't just magically wake up healed one day. Her fears and desires seem realistic and valid. Adrian is the real king here. He is so patient even though he's an inherently impatient man. He has his own issues with rage but never directs it towards Val and she soothes a part of his soul. I loved his devotion to her and fierce need to protect her while having feelings beyond their deal. I'm so anxious for this next book and can't wait to read more from this incredible duo!
I've read several mafia related romances and this one by far has stood out the most! Valentina is a young virgin whose father allows her arranged fiance to abuse her as long as she remains innocent. During a mandatory appearance at a party she meets the host Adrian. Adrian is considered a vicious monster in his own right though he would never hurt women. He becomes immediately enchanted by Val and keeps thinking of her days later. Becoming more scared of her fiance Sal, Val seeks out Adrian to strike a deal. He will kill Sal and in return Adrian wants Val to be his. A traumatic night forces them together in a way neither imagined, but their future remains unclear. This is a duet with a cliffhanger and you get several bombs dropped within the last 10% of the book. I loved these two characters. Val is finding her strength and voice after years of abuse and she's portrayed as someone still recovering from that abuse. She doesn't just magically wake up healed one day. Her fears and desires seem realistic and valid. Adrian is the real king here. He is so patient even though he's an inherently impatient man. He has his own issues with rage but never directs it towards Val and she soothes a part of his soul. I loved his devotion to her and fierce need to protect her while having feelings beyond their deal. I'm so anxious for this next book and can't wait to read more from this incredible duo!
August 13, 2021
I've read several mafia related romances and this one by far has stood out the most! Valentina is a young virgin whose father allows her arranged fiance to abuse her as long as she remains innocent. During a mandatory appearance at a party she meets the host Adrian. Adrian is considered a vicious monster in his own right though he would never hurt women. He becomes immediately enchanted by Val and keeps thinking of her days later. Becoming more scared of her fiance Sal, Val seeks out Adrian to strike a deal. He will kill Sal and in return Adrian wants Val to be his. A traumatic night forces them together in a way neither imagined, but their future remains unclear. This is a duet with a cliffhanger and you get several bombs dropped within the last 10% of the book. I loved these two characters. Val is finding her strength and voice after years of abuse and she's portrayed as someone still recovering from that abuse. She doesn't just magically wake up healed one day. Her fears and desires seem realistic and valid. Adrian is the real king here. He is so patient even though he's an inherently impatient man. He has his own issues with rage but never directs it towards Val and she soothes a part of his soul. I loved his devotion to her and fierce need to protect her while having feelings beyond their deal. I'm so anxious for this next book and can't wait to read more from this incredible duo!
July 25, 2023
📕
Dark romance. However, this romance isn't just laced with brutality. I am happy there are redeemable qualities in the love interest. I'm not too fond of the stories where the victim is degraded and violently brutalized but ends up in love with the aggressor. I don't mind an alpha type but I don't like the mean and cruel. I am grateful this isn't those storylines and it has an actual pilot to follow and not just spice.
Valentina, Val is betrothed to Sal. Sal is cruel and violent, and Val fears her future with him. Adrian is just as dangerous, yet he is the first to treat Val kindly.
Val chose Adrian to save herself from Sal, hoping a bigger monster would give her protection. Adrian is obsessed with having Val as his wife yet understanding and caring.
Adrian trys to win Val over while trying to protect her from the dangerous world they were brought up in.
Dark romance. However, this romance isn't just laced with brutality. I am happy there are redeemable qualities in the love interest. I'm not too fond of the stories where the victim is degraded and violently brutalized but ends up in love with the aggressor. I don't mind an alpha type but I don't like the mean and cruel. I am grateful this isn't those storylines and it has an actual pilot to follow and not just spice.
Valentina, Val is betrothed to Sal. Sal is cruel and violent, and Val fears her future with him. Adrian is just as dangerous, yet he is the first to treat Val kindly.
Val chose Adrian to save herself from Sal, hoping a bigger monster would give her protection. Adrian is obsessed with having Val as his wife yet understanding and caring.
Adrian trys to win Val over while trying to protect her from the dangerous world they were brought up in.
August 15, 2021
What a cliffhanger.
I chose this rating as its a brilliant dark mafia read and i was hooked from the beginning.
Val and Giovanni sucked me right in.
I felt So many emotions throughout this book and some of the scenes where very triggering but that's what made the book and Val be the way they where.
The cliffhanger has me shook!!!
Cant wait for book 2
I chose this rating as its a brilliant dark mafia read and i was hooked from the beginning.
Val and Giovanni sucked me right in.
I felt So many emotions throughout this book and some of the scenes where very triggering but that's what made the book and Val be the way they where.
The cliffhanger has me shook!!!
Cant wait for book 2
September 17, 2021
This book was amazing!!! This is dark romance at its finest! The twists and turns I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through! Simply put WOW !
June 25, 2021
Ok so when does the full book come out?!
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